Bryan PD at the top of Ohio

Drowsy Driving – Who’s Most at Risk?

Anyone who drives is at risk of falling asleep at the wheel, but some groups of people are more at risk than others. They include:

• Young drivers – Combining inexperience with
sleepiness and a tendency to drive at night
puts young people at risk, especially males
aged 16-25 years.

• Shift workers and people working long
hours – People who work night shifts,
rotating shifts, double shifts or work more
than one job have a six-fold increase in drowsy
driving crashes.

• Commercial drivers – Those who drive a high
number of miles and drive at night are at
significantly higher risk for fall-asleep crashes.
Commercial drivers have also been found to
be at a high risk for sleep disorders.

• People with untreated sleep disorders
such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) –
People with untreated OSA are up to seven
times more likely to have a drowsy driving
crash. For some people insomnia can
increase fatigue.

• Business travelers – Frequent travelers who
may be suffering from jet lag and crossing time
zones, spending long hours behind the wheel
or getting too little sleep.
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